Honghuang: My understanding is beyond belief. I am the first immortal of Jiejiao.

According to the instructions in the Queen Mother's document and Lin Zhu's intuition, the supreme weapon of slaughter, the Immortal Execution Sword, is hidden beneath the largest volcano in this Fire Ling Mountain.

If Gu Yang wants to obtain the Zhuxian Sword, he must first deal with these two powerful guardian fire dragons formed from pure fire spirit energy!

At this moment, Gu Yang's mind was already in a state of chaos due to the drugs and his obsession. Only the clear command of "getting the Zhuxian Sword" remained, along with the background sound of "Aba aba" that kept popping up during the battle.

Facing two fire dragons at the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, he did not hesitate at all. He looked up at the sky and let out a wild and resolute wolf howl. His body was flashing with demonic light, and he instantly revealed the true form of the Phoenix-Eyed Water Wolf - a giant wolf with a huge body, white fur, and eyes like cold moonlight!

He stepped into the air, carrying the remaining cold magical energy related to the water element, and fearlessly charged towards the two swirling and roaring fire dragons!
In an instant, an earth-shattering battle erupted above the Fire Carp Mountain!
The Phoenix-Eyed Water Wolf and the Flame Dragon clashed violently, their claws striking each other with a deafening clang like metal striking metal; the icy demonic energy and the blazing dragon breath corroded each other, erupting into hissing white mist and deafening energy roars.

With his foundation as a half-step quasi-saint, his bravery, and his natural control over water-attribute energy in his bloodline, Gu Yang engaged in a fierce battle with the two fire dragons.

The aftershocks of their battle impacted the volcano below, causing one crater after another to erupt violently. Scorching lava shot into the sky like fireworks, turning the dim sky a blood red. Thick smoke mixed with violent energy turbulence made the area dark and gloomy, as if the end of the world had arrived.

Just as the battle reached its climax, Lin Zhu leisurely arrived on a cloud.

He hovered at a safe distance, calmly observing the battlefield.

The two fiery dragons in the arena coordinated perfectly, unleashing a barrage of attacks with their breath, claws, and tails. This relentless assault forced the already heavily injured and sluggish Gu Yang into a precarious situation, leaving him mostly scrambling to dodge and defend. He could only find a chance to counterattack occasionally, making the scene look more like two fire dragons chasing after Gu Yang.

"what?"

Lin Zhu's gaze narrowed slightly as he carefully sensed the aura emanating from the two fire dragons. In addition to the pure and immense power of the fire spirit, it also carried a faint, ancient, and desolate charm, as if it came from the distant ancient primordial era. This made him feel a sense of surprise.

Just then, the nine-phoenix chick in his arms seemed to be startled by this aura and took the initiative to send out a confused soul message.

"Dad...those two...big worms...they feel...so familiar...like...I've seen them somewhere before..."

Lin Zhu's heart stirred, and he quickly communicated with his divine sense.

"Oh? You recognize them? What's their origin?"

The nine heads of the nine-headed phoenix chick rubbed against him in unison, as if trying to remember, but the thoughts that came through were still vague.

"I...I can't remember...it's just...familiar...very old...very old feeling..."

Jiu Feng's ambiguous response left Lin Zhu feeling both helpless and confused.

He guessed that these two fire dragons might really be related to the ancient times, and might be the projection or descendant of some powerful fire-type divine beast, but even Jiufeng, a "living fossil," couldn't explain it clearly, so he could only suppress his curiosity for the time being.

He subconsciously wanted to reach out and pat Jiufeng's head to comfort her, but he forgot that Jiufeng had nine heads. His hand hovered in mid-air, unsure of where to land. This little incident made him slightly embarrassed, and he quickly refocused his attention on the battle in the arena.

At this point, Gu Yang's situation became increasingly dire.

The Phoenix-Eyed Water Wolf's bloodline can only unleash its full power in places with water or abundant moisture, but this Fire-Rain Mountain is full of lava and the air is filled with violent fire elements, which greatly suppresses it.

His body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, and his white hair was singed and torn, making him look horribly gruesome.

His thoughts, under the combined effects of intense battle and drugs, almost completely ceased, leaving only instinctive fighting reactions and the chaotic "Aba aba" sounds.

Seeing Gu Yang's miserable state, Lin Zhu's faint "compassion" resurfaced. He looked towards the battlefield and asked loudly in a tone that sounded quite "concerned".

"Fellow Daoist Gu Yang! Seeing how difficult your fight is, do you need my help?"

Gu Yang, who was in a frenzied battle state, felt greatly insulted when he heard Lin Zhu's voice, especially the words "help". He suddenly unleashed a dragon's breath, turned his head and roared angrily, his voice hoarse but full of stubbornness.

"No need! I don't need your help! I can manage on my own!"
I will personally pull out this Immortal-Slaying Sword! No one else may interfere!

Before he finished speaking, he once again gathered all the remaining demonic energy in his body, and disregarding his injuries, he forcibly used his innate divine power—"Howling Wolf at the Moon"!
A dark orb, much dimmer than before but still exuding a dangerous aura, condensed in his mouth and shot fiercely towards one of the fire dragons!
The fire dragon clearly sensed the danger, its massive body twisting with extraordinary agility, narrowly avoiding the desperate attack. The ball of light struck the volcano below, blasting a huge crater and causing the lava to erupt again.

Although the attack missed, Gu Yang took this opportunity to engage in another thrilling struggle with the two fire dragons.

In an extremely dangerous close encounter, he was struck hard by the giant tail of a fire dragon. His protective magical light shattered instantly, and he spat out blood, falling straight down into the boiling lava lake like a meteorite!

"Pfft!"

The scorching lava splashed up huge waves, engulfing Gu Yang's figure.

Lin Zhu raised an eyebrow, just as he thought the silly wolf was finally about to give up and was about to die, when suddenly something unexpected happened!
Suddenly, the center of the lava lake exploded, and a figure covered in viscous lava, emitting blue smoke, and so badly injured that it was almost unrecognizable, soared into the sky once again like an indomitable demon god!

In his only remaining, still relatively intact hand, he was tightly gripping a long sword!
The longsword had an ancient design, with a dark gray color throughout. The blade was covered with mysterious runes, and faint blood-red light flashed across it.

It did not emit any powerful aura fluctuations, as if it were just an ordinary piece of iron, but Lin Zhu could clearly feel that the raging fire spirit energy around it seemed to freeze for a moment the instant it appeared, and an invisible and intangible, yet terrifying killing intent that was enough to change the color of heaven and earth was contained within the sword!
It was none other than the ancient treasure of slaughter—the Immortal Slaughtering Sword!

"He actually... got it?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Zhu's eyes as he looked at Gu Yang, who, despite being extremely disheveled, seemed to have regained some clarity in his eyes after the madness had subsided. He made a guess in his mind.

"Looks like the drug's effects are wearing off? His mind's starting to clear? Tsk, if I'd known it was this potent, I should have considered physical methods to reduce his mental capacity, like knocking him out with a stick or something. Maybe that would have been more environmentally friendly..."

Gu Yang held the Zhuxian Sword in his hand, feeling the cold touch from the hilt. He was stunned for a moment, seemingly unable to believe that he had actually succeeded.

Immediately, an indescribable ecstasy, a mixture of accomplishment, relief, and catharsis, surged into his heart. He burst into wild laughter, his voice hoarse yet full of joy.

"Hahahaha! Got it! I got it! I, Gu Yang, am not someone to be slaughtered at will!!" Before his laughter subsided, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he actually took the initiative to swing the Immortal Execution Sword in his hand!
Although he couldn't unleash the true power of the Zhuxian Sword, the weapon's sharpness and restrained killing intent were already extraordinary!

With his last ounce of fierce determination and the sharpness of the Immortal Execution Sword, he moved like a ghost, and in the instant the two fire dragons were stunned, he pierced the tip of the Immortal Execution Sword into the core of the two fire dragons with incredible precision and ruthlessness at an unbelievable angle—

Within the core of flame that condenses most of their primordial power!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two soft sounds, like bubbles bursting.

The two powerful fire dragons froze instantly. Cracks spread rapidly along their massive bodies where the Immortal Execution Sword had pierced them, and they let out a final, unwilling cry.

Immediately, the enormous fiery body collapsed, transforming into a vast expanse of pure fire elemental energy that slowly dissipated into the world.

The battle came to an abrupt end.

Gu Yang, leaning on the Zhuxian Sword, knelt on one knee in mid-air, breathing heavily.

He looked down at his bare, charred body, then felt the emptiness of his demonic energy and the deep, bone-revealing wounds all over his body, and vaguely sensed that something was not quite right.

Just then, a faint flash of lightning seemed to pass through his mind, and a blurry image and sound appeared—

It seemed that as they were leaving the underwater cave in the South China Sea, the powerful figure inside pulled them aside, earnestly advising them, "...Be careful...Don't be tricked into working for free..."

Something like that...

The thought had barely formed in his mind when, before he could fully process it, the last remaining power of the [Five Poisons of Good and Evil] suddenly surged forth as if in a final burst of energy. His brain went blank with a "buzz," and his eyes once again became vacant and chaotic, unable to continue thinking.

Just then, Lin Zhu flew over "at the opportune moment," with an "excited" and "grateful" smile on her face. She helped up the swaying Gu Yang and said earnestly.

"Excellent! Fellow Daoist Gu Yang! You succeeded! You actually obtained the Immortal Execution Sword for me! I, Lin Zhu, will never forget this great kindness!"

As he spoke, he took the Executioner's Sword, its murderous aura subdued, from Gu Yang's weakly clenched hand with remarkable ease.

After receiving the sword, Lin Zhu continued his performance, his tone both "sincere" and "indignant".

"Fellow Daoist, please rest here for a moment! I will immediately return to the Heavenly Court, use this sword as proof, report back to the Queen Mother of the West, and publicly expose the true faces of those hypocritical immortals and gods in the Heavenly Court!"
"Once I've finished dealing with these trivial matters, I will definitely return to find you. Then, my brother and I will return to the seabed together to discuss our grand plans, assist our master, and create a glorious future!"

After saying that, he didn't wait for Gu Yang's response. He nodded "solemnly" to Gu Yang, and then his figure transformed into a stream of light. Carrying the Zhuxian Sword, he sped towards the Heavenly Court without looking back and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.

Gu Yang stared blankly in the direction Lin Zhu had disappeared, then subconsciously raised his scarred arm and waved aimlessly as a farewell. What Lin Zhu had said was beyond his comprehension.

After Lin Zhu left, Gu Yang dragged his body, which was on the verge of collapse, and flew away from the scorching Fire Ling Mountain area, finally falling helplessly onto a cold boulder by the roadside.

He just sat there blankly, his eyes vacant, as if he was trying to think of something, or as if he couldn't remember anything at all.

A day and a night passed quietly in this dazed and confused state.

Lin Zhu, of course, did not "come back to find him" as he had said.

When the sunlight of the next day pierced through the clouds and shone on Gu Yang's bald, scarred forehead, he suddenly shuddered!
The effects of the "Five Poisons of Good and Evil" in my mind have finally completely worn off!

An unprecedented sense of clarity returned to him. Although his body was still in excruciating pain and weak, his mind returned to normal.

It was at this very moment, when he left home, that the words spoken by his ancient dragon companion as he pulled him aside, echoed clearly in his mind.

"Gu Yang, the outside world is treacherous. Remember to be careful and not... don't be tricked into working for free and counting money for someone else!"

These words struck him like a thunderbolt!
Gu Yang suddenly lowered his head and looked at his bare body, covered with scorch marks and wounds, feeling the almost depleted magical energy in his body and the extremely heavy injuries.

Then I recalled how, during this period of time, I had been like a man possessed, working tirelessly and selflessly, even when I was scolded and pressured, I was still grateful and devoted myself to Lin Zhu...

He slowly squatted down by the roadside, hugged his bald head with both hands, and exhaled a long, dejected breath that smelled of blood and contained incredibly complex emotions.

A sudden realization, mixed with endless frustration, anger, and self-mockery, welled up in my heart.

He, Gu Yang, the Phoenix-Eyed Water Wolf, a half-step Quasi-Saint... it seems that he has been deceived once again.

……

Meanwhile, Lin Zhu, having returned laden with spoils, was heading back to the Heavenly Court with mixed feelings, yet also feeling incredibly fulfilled.

The gains from this trip to Beiju Luzhou far exceeded his expectations, even surpassing his previous gains in the South China Sea by several times! And all of this was almost entirely thanks to the "strong support" of his "good friend" Gu Yang.

He barely exerted any effort himself; he just talked a big game and made empty promises. At the last moment, he showed up and took the Zhuxian Sword, thus successfully obtaining this supreme weapon that even saints would covet. He also gained a massive amount of top-grade pills, enough to arm a powerful army!

He looked down at the Immortal Execution Sword in his hand, its murderous aura subdued, and then felt the mountain of various elixirs and miraculous medicines piled up in his storage space. His heart was filled with joy and "emotion".

"Ah, Fellow Daoist Gu Yang, you are truly my lucky star!"

Lin Zhu sighed inwardly, even feeling a genuine sense of emotion. (End of Chapter)